Biography
Charlotte Hug, singer, violist, composer, improviser, media artist, and pedagogue
Having completed her studies in classical music, pedagogy, and fine arts, she received various awards such as “artist in residence” in Berlin, Cork European Capital of Culture, Cité Internationale des Arts Paris, London (Landis & Gyr) Johannesburg, and Shanghai (Pro Helvetia) and she was a fellow-artist at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation. In 2011, she was "Artiste Étoile" at the Lucerne Festival, 2019 nominated for the Classic: Next - Innovation Award, and winner of the Swiss Music Prize in 2025.
The musician of extremes breaks boundaries. As a vocalist, she sings over four octaves, from undertones to falsetto, and explores various singing techniques in areas such as vibrating glottal stops, multiphonics, and speech-like articulation etc. She also specialises in blending the sounds of her voice and the viola, which has led to a distinctive sound language. She has recorded an extensive discography, including "Son-Icon Music" for choir and orchestra and four solo albums, on international labels.
Hugs compositions are performed by international ensembles, choirs, and orchestras as well as interdisciplinary ensembles (including the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, Ensemble SuperMusique Montréal, Dance Company FATC Johannesburg, Via-Nova Chor München, Lucerne Festival Academy, and the Ensemble of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra).
She is a long-standing member of the London Improvisers Orchestra. She develops open concepts for the LIO as well as for various international improvisers orchestras such as the KIO in Krakow, the STIO in Graz, the SPIO in São Paulo etc.
Alongside her activities as a visual artist in exhibitions, her sound-drawings: “Son-Icons” have found international recognition. She performs extensively as an improviser, soloist, composer, and conductor of her works at major festivals in Europe, North and Latin America, Canada, South Africa, Russia, and China.
She gives master classes at numerous universities and art academies, including McGill University, Montréal, CNMAT of the University of California, Berkeley, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, etc. At the Zurich University of the Arts, she has initiated and directed the CAS programme "Creation & Scenario in Music" since 2018.
"‘With her innovative musical and visual performances in special locations, her intermedia compositions and Spatial-Scores with Son-Icons (visual music), Hug has created a new genre of transdisciplinary, spatial-scenic music and art.’ Barbara Eckle - Berliner Festspiele
"This duo of voice and viola was produced in real time by just one person controlled by just one brain - magnificent" John Eyles - All About Jazz
